May 13, 2013. WRSG Irvine, California, USA: World Recycling Surfacing Group the Irvine, California based premier provider of highly acclaimed artificial turf, running tracks, green roofing and rubberized walkways, were honored at a formal gala event held in Chicago on April 25, 2013, as the GOLD winners of the 2013 Edison Green Award™ for their proprietary RubberWay® rubberized walkways.

This award is designed to recognize outstanding efforts by an organization to reduce a participating community’s carbon footprint, create Green Collar jobs through new innovation methods, and improve community health & self-sufficiency. The winners were judged by a panel of more than 3,000 peers, including business executives, past winners, academics and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering,science and medicine.

Karoleen Alexander Founder & President World Recycling Surfacing Group said; “It is an honor for us to be recognized globally for such a prestigious achievement. More than 25 years ago I had a vision to play a role in making an environmental impact to divert tires from landfills. I became actively involved in tire recycling and product development. There were no incentives at the time. It took 25 years of challenges to persevere an uphill battle. Over the past 17 years I have been instrumental in helping to create state laws in Ca. which later became Federal laws.

All of our systems are designed as performance based systems and to comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance Green buildings and materials.

In 2010 our nation started going “Green”. This was the first year our outreach efforts began to take stride. Our installation and dealer contracts began to become a real viable business which enabled us to track the substantial impact our partners and installation network were making nationwide in our tire diversion efforts. Contracts began flowing in primarily with TARP money incentives to create “Green Jobs” for green roofs and green surfacing projects which have been completed or are presently ongoing with the US Department of Defense, US Navy, US Air force, various theme parks, hotels, schools, public works plus numerous private and corporate clients.

An excellent example of one of our innovative WRSG product applications is the recent installation of 10,500 square feet of RubberWay® rubberized walkways and 21,500 square feet of porous rubber pavement at the world headquarters of the domestic merchandise & home furnishings retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond, Inc., located in Union, New Jersey, USA. Bed Bath & Beyond was faced with storm water management requirements for a percentage of the paving as part of their improvement project with new renovations at their corporate headquarters. Bed, Bath & Beyond management realized that they could obtain an alternative to concrete walkways, offering many benefits that would meet state flood zone requirements, while enhancing the outside surrounding landscape with a “green” and sustainable pavement.

The recent Bed Bath & Beyond installation of the RubberWay paving systems has diverted 198,000 pounds of passenger tire rubber which equates to a contribution of diverting 16,500 passenger tires from local landfills. It is terrific that Bed Bath & Beyond has participated in a Green program and had the vision to make an environmental impact in their community while providing an excellent walkway surface for their staff recreation”.

About: 2013 Edison Green Award™

The Edison Awards were established in 1987 to honor Thomas Edison's wide-ranging contributions to technology and consumer products, as well as to inspire and foster continued innovation. The Edison Green Award™ is designed as a platform to recognize efforts by an organization to reduce participating community's carbon footprint, create Green Collar jobs through new innovation methods and improve community health and self-sufficiency. For more information go to: www.edisonawards.com

About: Schimenti Construction Company

Schimenti Construction Company based in Ridgefield, Connecticut has built an enviable reputation as one of the region’s leading general contractors for national retail and commercial clients including; Bed Bath & Beyond, GAP, Kohl’s, Massimo Dutti, Sephora, Target, Victoria’s Secret and ZARA. With a staff of over 100 trade professionals, a field tested project management program (X management System) and a sound business model, Schimenti has created a proprietary construction process which delivers.

In th November 2010 edition of OC Metro, found in the "Green" segment of its contents, is the article titled "Sustainable Surfaces", showcasing World Recycling Surfacing Group's impact on the industry of diverting used tires from landfills.